​​​​​​​5 Things You Should Never Do On Social Media When You Play Hooky

Hooky – we’ve all played it from time to time. In some ways, it’s a necessity of the workforce – finding time for yourself helps you keep your sanity. And the allotted vacation days don’t always cut it. We need more “me” time to flourish.

But, as prevalent as hooky may be, there are wrong ways to do it. So, how do you know if you do it incorrectly? It’s simple: you get caught.

Back in the old days of the 1980s, it was difficult to get caught. But, in modern day, social media is your biggest rat. And that means you must use it wisely.

So, how do you do this? By keeping yourFacebook and Instagram free of suspicion, of course. These include:

Photos of what you’re doing

If you’re home “sick” but posting photos skiing down a mountain, you’re playing a losing game of hooky. Sure, pictures are a large part of our lives, but refrain from leaving a trail of photographic evidence. If you do post, be sure to alter the date.

Check-ins

Nothing gives away your location quite like check-ins: they literally make stalkers’ jobs easy. Check-ins aren’t a necessity to social media use - not everyone needs to know where you are at all times. As a rule, never check-in anywhere when you’re supposed to be someplace else.

Status updates

A status update that reads “Playing hooky – my boss is a moron!” is clearly a bad idea. But any status update can give you away. This is especially true if you include the location in your statement. If you’re playing hooky, play it safe and don’t update at all. You don’t want your status to be “fired.”

Tagging friends

Even if you’re not friends with your boss or coworkers, people you know might be. Tagging others makes you more viewable, something you don’t want when you’re trying to lay low. But tagging is a two-way street - ask your friends not to tag you, either.

RSVPing to events

If you’re scheduled to work and can’t get someone to cover your shift, don’t show your hand by revealing your plans to the internet. In other words, don’t RSVP to any events that you’re planning to attend. If your boss spots your RSVP and you call in sick shortly after, they’ll see right through the “coincidence.”

Social media isn’t designed to be subtle; it’s designed to garner attention. When you’re playing hooky, attention is something you don’t want. So stay away from the World Wide Web to better cover your web of lies.

Keep your employees content with a take my shift attendance policy. And don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list. We’ll provide ideas on how to implement shift-sharing and erase the need for hooky entirely.